


Bien Joué

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Series: Drabbles Gone Rogue [23]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladynoir July, Ladynoirjuly2019, Post-Gamer 2.0, Season 3, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-31 16:24:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19429702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: In the wake of Gamer’s second showing, Ladybug realized that a change was in order:  something that would let her (and Chat Noir) properly prepare for the challenges Hawkmoth is sure to have in store for them, and he’d be none the wiser.It was a foolproof plan!It was a good thing she didn’t know any fools...





	1. Miraculouses

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Kellarhi for beta reading!

“It will be perfect, Tikki.” Marinette grinned, placing her pencil back down on her desk atop the list she’d been working on all night. “You’ll see!”

“I don’t know, Marinette…” her Kwami chirped, hovering over shoulder as she peered down at the page. 

“What is there to worry about? I’ve already got everything covered.” Marinette beamed, standing up to stretch. “Alya and Nino can cover the usual patrol… and it doubles as date night for both of them, so I shouldn’t get pulled in to babysit nearly as often.”

“It will give Chat Noir and I both a much needed break. I won’t have to run quite so hard… I’ll probably even be able to sleep more and be more alert and prepared whenever Hawkmoth sends out another villain.”

“Besides,” Marinette whispered. “It lets _him_ get away more from whatever was making him so sad. I just need to be sure that _you’re_ sure that you can still keep my identity masked…”

“I’ve learned more about the technology, so I should be able to modify the earrings to change your voice.” Tikki sighed. “If you can get me a few minutes alone with Plagg I’ll explain how he can do the same…”

* * *

Within minutes, Ladybug had transformed and was racing the rooftops, over the one they’d decided to meet upon long ago. Even if her own vision wasn’t nearly as sharp as his, she’d spotted his shadowy figure, baton extended and looped over his shoulders as he waited for her.

His green eyes were glowing and turned fully toward her as she gained just enough momentum to softly swing up and alight on the rooftop with ruthless efficiency.

“Good evening, M’Lady?” He simpered as she stood up to full height. 

“How would you feel about a break, Chaton?”

He blinked. Slowly. “A break, M’Lady?” 

Ladybug nodded, sitting down on the gently sloped roof and tapping the shingles beside her. “I don’t know about you, but… things have been a little bit busy as of late.”

Chat’s brows furrowed as he planted one end of the baton against the roof. “I don’t mind being a little busy… not if it means I get to see you.” 

“I enjoy hanging out with you too, Chat. But I was thinking about changing that… a little.”

“Have I done something wrong?” 

“No…” Ladybug bit her lip. She didn’t quite expect him to look like a kicked kitten. This was a change, sure. But it was a good change. A tactical change. “I just think we need to change up how we train. It will mean a little less time together in person at least, but it would let us do more to be sure we’re ready to fight Hawkmoth.”

A little defeated, Chat’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not sure I’m going to like this.”

Playfully, she tapped his bell. “Oh, I bet you might. After all, it was Gamer’s Game—and you—that gave me the idea.”

She held out her hand expectantly and Chat dutifully dropped his baton into it. “My Kwami will send yours the details. But I need you to pick a name. One you’re sure to remember for me…”

“What is all this for?”

IDs,” Ladybug beamed. Rena and Carapace have offered to pick up a few patrols every week so we can focus on this...

“Bugaboo… is this…?” Chat Noir gaped, eyes wide in shocked glee as he boggled at the login screen. “Are we video gaming together?

She smirked. “Think of it as strategic training. On the PC. All from the comfort of home ...”

“You want to play video games?” Chat blinked slowly, head tilted slightly. “With _me_? For _fun_?” He inched closer, lifting the back of his gloved hand against her forehead. “Are you sure you’re feeling well?”

Chuckling, she dodged his antics. “Not just for fun. I mean, scrimmages are well and good, but the rooftops can only offer so much challenge. Fighting against Max’s game made me realize that there are already plenty of challenges at the ready and on hand.” 

The sheer delight that glimmered in Chat Noir’s eyes told her that he hadn’t missed her accidental pun. 

She shook her head ruefully. “This way, we won’t have to work nearly as hard to escape for patrols all the time. And it gives us a chance to tackle more, and varied, challenges to build up speed, synchronicity, and keep our reaction time sharp.”

He winked at her flexing his claws. “I haven’t slipped yet.”

“Keep _that_ kind of talk for after we’ve played a few rounds.” She snorted, gloved fingers tapping into his baton and handing it back to him. “And this time, there will be no sneaky tagging out.”

“ _Meee_ ow, M’Lady.” He chuckled, leaning over to see what name she’d chosen for him. “I’d almost think you were holding a grudge that I didn’t want to fight you for real.”

Chat Noir beamed as Ladybug handed her yo-yo over to him.

“He might have Akumatized Gamer to do his bidding, but the tricks and strategy of veritable library with decades worth of games? That’s a challenge that I don’t think Hawkmoth’s ever seen before.” Mischief sparkled in her eyes. “And I’m sure it’s one he’s _definitely_ not expecting…”


	2. Civilian Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Kellarhi for Beta reading!

When he heard the heavy sigh slipping past her lips, it was a struggle for him to fight the temptation to look over his shoulder to figure out what Ladybug was thinking.

But it wasn’t wise. Not while she wasn’t exactly _herself…_

He wasn’t either, for that matter. 

Plagg and Ladybug’s Kwami had flitted off together to the other end of the rooftop. They were whispering, and working out how to keep their holder’s identities secret, leaving both he and his partner sitting back to back on an otherwise empty roof. 

It was a safe enough location. They had both checked that it was free and clear of cameras months ago, and it was an easy meet up and refueling point.

He was trying, rather desperately, to be quiet, so their secrets would remain _secret_. But he wasn’t the one to break the silence… “Pick of the Litter, huh?”

He shrugged, gazing out at the endless sea of rooftops in the distance. “You are the best of the bunch… and you had me pick.”

“And you just had to make it a cat pun, didn’t you?” Ladybug’s barbed comment was undercut a bit by the soft shake of shoulders. Even without Plagg’s help, he could hear her muffled laugh. “I already went for the Cat pun for _you_. Wasn’t the Cat’s Meow enough?”

He placed his hands behind his head, leaning back against her more heavily. “There can never be too many cat puns.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She groaned a bit pressing back with as much force as her smaller form could muster. “Two people running around with cat-themed puns for names? One person like that—like YOU, is plenty.” 

Adrien smiled softly. “You can change it if you want.”

“It wouldn’t be the same.” She breathed. “It’s easier to remember what I gave you, and you me… so you can find it when you get home.”

“There isn’t _any_ possibility of me forgetting, you know…” 

He closed his eyes half sure he could see her worrying her lip. “I don’t want anything written down… it’s just safer that way. Besides, if anyone ever _did_ puzzle out what we’re doing, they wouldn’t be looking for me as a punster…”

He chuckled. “It’s okay. I understand that you like my puns.”

Her loud guffaw was reward enough. 

“How will all this work anyways?”

“Rena and Carapace will pick up a few patrol from time to time instead of the two of us.”

He nodded. “That… makes sense. They need more physical practice with sparring.”

Ladybug grinned and let out a small chuckle. He hated that he couldn’t see her approval because he could clearly imagine the smile on her face. “And different sets of eyes might give us some better idea of how to eventually find where Hawkmoth is hiding. I’ll just need to drop their Miraculous off and pick them up later.”

“And what’s the plan for our strategic practices?”

She crossed her arms, leaning back more subtly. “One of us will pick a genre… the other picks the game to play. With at least one of the game services, we can play a trial version without it costing a thing.”

“Just the computer?” 

Ladybug hesitated. “I don’t exactly have a lot of space. And we only have the one gaming system. But my parents love to play that as well…”

He could feel the soft sigh as she pressed against his back. “It seemed like—from what you said before—that you needed a little break from home. I know sometimes… my family tries to jump in… or a friend comes over. So I was just considering all of those things possibly getting in the way. It would be nice to avoid the late nights if possible, since Ti—my Kwami has been pushing me to rest more. “Do you think you’d be able to get away for an hour or two? Or at least play a game without being distracted by your family?

He smiled sadly. “Getting away _definitely_ isn’t a problem. I have plenty of games I could donate to the cause, but I rarely ever get to play in versus mode.”

“Oh…” He felt her shoulder’s turn, sure that she was about to turn around until he felt the press of her palm atop his hand, warming the chilled metal of his ring. ”I’m sorry, Kitty.”

A blush burned his cheeks, one he was thoroughly glad Ladybug would never notice. “It isn’t your fault.” 

There was a hint of sadness in her voice. “I’m really sorry I didn’t think of this sooner.”

“You didn’t know.” He reminded.

“I didn’t ask either.”

He shifted his hand in her grip, turning it to lace his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I get it. You were more focused on making sure we both stayed safe.”

She squeezed back, with the slightest hitch in her voice. “Thank you, Chat.”

“Honestly, the distraction will make it all a lot more bearable…”

Ladybug chuckled. “Are you calling me a distraction??”

“Speaking of distractions…” Adrien murmured, spotting the glow of green darting over towards them.

Plagg sighed dramatically. “Hate to break up this party. But you are keeping me from my evening snack.”

“Plagg!” Ladybug’s Kwami chided. “Don’t be rude.”

“Me?” Plagg snorted. “Rude? I’m only hungry.”

The red Kwami snorted. “You’re _always_ hungry, you glutton.”

“Glutton?” Plagg grumbled. “Let she who is without a pile of cookies toss the first Camembert!”

She giggled as she watched the two Kwami, leaving him all too aware of the soft rumble against his back. Ladybug patted his hand before she stood. “We can’t have a hungry Kwami, now can we?” 

Plagg swooped out of sight. Only a few moments later, a soft purr rumbling from his tiny chest. “I told you I liked her, Kid.”

Ladybug’s Kwami looked decidedly less than impressed.

“The sooner we get you home, the sooner Chat and I can train.” He was certain that Ladybug grinned, as she slowly stood up. “Spots On,” She murmured as the soft flash of pink glimmered out of the corner of his eye.

Adrien sighed, protesting the loss of heat from his back. He summoned Plagg into his transformation and rolled back before acrobatically using the momentum to find his way back to his feet. “Any thought on what we should play, m’Lady?”

“Hmmm…” She had her head tilted, deep in thought as she spun her yo-yo over to the edge of the roof. As if she hadn’t already planned her next words...

The effect on his heart was no less startled as she winked back at him before taking flight off into the night. 

“I’m sure you could _puzzle_ it out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be accepting comments and here and via my [Tumblr ask box](https://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/ask) to either genre suggestions or specific games. You can submit as anon, but if I use your suggestion, I will also be citing your name as well on the chapter post.

**Author's Note:**

> So what will they play?
> 
> I have some very definite ideas, but I will open the floor (and my [Tumblr ask box](https://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/ask)) to either genre suggestions or specific games. You can submit as anon, but if I use your suggestion, I will also be citing your name as well on the chapter post.


End file.
